HARVARD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
On February, 1865 a few men got together to purchase a fire engine for the village of Harvard. Six years later, in 1871, the Great Chicago Fire took place and Harvard sent their fire truck to help fight this fire. The Harvard Fire Department still owns that same truck and it is on display in our fire station.
In 1892, Kenosha, Wisconsin had a large fire in which Harvard also fought. The old hand pumper was loaded on a train car and was sent to Kenosha. Harvard received a banner which read: "A Testimonial for Heroic Services Rendered by Steamer Co. No. 1, April 19, 1892 by the City of Kenosha Wisconsin.
The first Constitution and by-laws were drawn up for the Harvard Fire Department in 1899. The first Fire Marshall Sebra Butts, ran the department and L. A. Reid was secretary. The department then had 26 members. Marshall Butts resigned due to his age on May 2, 1919. Eugene Saunders then was appointed new fire chief. In 1927, Chief Saunders resigned and Ray Eugene Lush was appointed. He held office until R. Eugene Shepard was appointed chief in 1958.
In 1935, talk was started about forming a fire district. On December 7, 1945, a Board of Trustees was formed for the Harvard Rural Fire Protection District. At this time there were two separate departments, city and rural, under one chief, R. E. Shepard. When Chief Shepard retired on May 1, 1962, Clifford Vierck was appointed to the chief position.
On November 3 1971 the city and rural departments held their first meeting under a new merger between these two departments. The city had merged into the Rural Fire Protection District. Clifford Vierck was the chief of the department at this time. Today this same district in in operation with a board of trustees. Clifford Vierck retired as chief on May 1, 1974. Arnold Carlson was then appointed chief.
There is much history to this department and many fine men have served on it. The 1976 Harvard Rural Fire Protection District Board of Trustee officers are:
Jack Ryan - President
James Perenchio - Secretary
Clifford Vierck - Treasurer
Officers of the department are :
Arnold Carlson - Chief
Clifford Wagner - Assistant Chief
Aaron McConnell - Assistant Chief
Stuart Nerge - Secretary and Treasurer
Firemen include :
Art Anderson
Dennis Bischke
Don Bleiler
Charles Burkart
Dan Burton
Eugene Burton
Kelly Camp
Robert Camp
Arnold Carlson
Gene Garey
Richard Goad
Dan Guttschow
Jim Hartwig
William Hartwig
Elwyn Jones
Aaron McConnell
Jim McCullough
Ron McFarlin
Ray Mulvenna
Robert Mulvenna
Stuart Nerge
William Olbrich
Jack Perenchio
Stanley Raupp
Tim Reckamp
Lorn Rice II
Jack Ryan
Robert Stoxen
Clifford Wagner